Envelop-moistener.



No. 663,50I. Patented Dec. Il, |900.

R. B. KIRKWOD.

ENVELOP MUISTENER.

(Application led July 17, 1900.

(No Model.)

UNrrnn Sterns ROSS B. KIRKVOOD, OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

ENVELOP-IVIOISTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,501, dated December 1 1, 1900.

Application filed July l '7, l 9 00.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROSS B. KIRKWOOD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Envelop-Moistener, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a novel envelop-moistener, and comprehends the employment of a device for moistening envelops in combination with a pen-rack and ink-well.

The object of the invention is to provide an ornamental and inexpensive article of desk furniture having provision whereby envelops, wrappers, or other gummed surfaces may be moistened to facilitate the sealing thereof without the necessity for employing the tongue, wet Sponges, or other inconvenient expedients which are ordinarily employed for this purpose.

To the accomplishment of this end the invention consists in providing an ornamental base formed with wells for the reception of the ink or the ink-bottles and supporting a pen-rack composed of a number of upstanding brackets one of which is extended to form a socket for the reception of the spring-pressed head of a presser-foot staff, which latter is provided with a presser-foot designed to be yieldingly urged against a wick-roller carried by the movable-cover of a water-receptacle and having its lower portion submerged in the water, so that as the wick-roller is rotated by the passing of an envelop under the presser-foot the gummed surface will be thoroughly moistened.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device complete. Fig. 2 is a central transverse section therethrough, and Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the presser-foot and its mounting.

Referring to the numerals of reference designating corresponding parts in each of the views, 1 indicates a base constructed of any desired material and in any preferred ornamental form and comprising two or more inkwells or ink-bottle receptacles 2, suitably spaced and braced by an intermediate curved wall or flange 3, which, with the curved walls of the wells 2, imparts an ornamental appearance to the front'of the base. The top or surface plate 4 of the base 1 is extended rear- Serial No. 23,940. (No model.)

wardly and is supported at its rear edge by vertical flanges 5,extendi ng downwardly from the plate 4 and rearwardly from the wells 2, the lower edges of the flanges 3 and 4 and the bottoms of the wells 2 constituting the supports of the base. The base lis surmounted, preferably at its center, by a reservoir or water-receptacle 6, the walls of which may be and preferably are integral with the base. TheV top of the receptacle 6 is closed by a hinged cover 7, which also constitutes a carrier for the wick-roller 8, and for the reception of the latter is provided an opening 9, at the opposite ends of which are formed a pair of inwardly-extending bearing-flanges 10, abutting against the opposite ends of the roller 8, whose periphery extends through the opening 9 to permit the exposure of the wick 11 above the cover 7. It is desirable that provision be made for readily removing the roller 8 for the purpose of renewing the wick, which is preferably in the form of a sleeve surrounding the roller. To effect the removable mounting of the roller through the medium of a device which will also constitute locking or retainingvmeans for the cover 7, I provide a roller-shaft 12, piercing the roller axially and passed through the front wall of the reservoir 6 and the bearing-flanges 10 of the cover, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The shaft 12 is provided with a head 13 upon the exterior of the water-receptacle to facilitate the removal of said shaft for the purpose of effecting the release of the cover from the receptacle and of the roller 8 from the cover.

Directly above the roller is mounted what may be termed a presser-foot 14 having its under surface curved, as shown in Fig. l, and provided with an upstanding staff l 5,having a terminal head 16 located to move within a spring-socket 17. The presser-foot 14 is designed' to be yieldingly urged against the wick-covered cylinder by a coil or other suitable spring l8,located within the spring-socket 17 and bearing at its opposite ends against the upper end of thesocket and against the IOO pierced by the staff l5, is screwed into the lower end of the socket l7 and is provided with a knurled flange 20, by means of which the plug may be easily screwed to any desired position for the purposes stated.

21 indicates a guide-flange extending upwardly from the cover 7 adjacent to one end of the roller S to guide 'the euvelops, wrappers, or other gummed surfaces, which are passed between the presser-foot and Wick for the purpose of moistening the gum. It will appear that when the envelop or the like is slipped edgewise under the presser-foot the latter will yield to permit the free passage thereof, but will exert sufficient pressure to cause the movement of the envelop to rotate the wick-roller forthe purpose of insuring the thorough saturation of the wick and the presentation thereof to the gum, it being observed that the lower part of the Wick-roller is submerged in the water 22 in the receptacle 6. Various expedien ts may be devised for the support of the spring-socket i7 in proper position above the roller; but I prefer to form this socket at the end of a resilient rack-bar23, provided with a series of pen-rests 24 and eX- tending from the upper end of an upstanding bracket-arm 25, supported by the base. Adjacent to the opposite ends of the base additional brackets 26 and 27 are provided, said brackets constituting, in connection with the rack-arm 23, a pen-rack of ornamental form and convenient arrangement. The rack-bar 23, as well as the corresponding bars of the brackets 26 and 27, is necessarily inclined somewhat, and for this reason the front end of the bar 23 is recurved at its front end to locate the upper end of the socket 17 at a sufficient distance above the roller to permit of sufficient elevation of the presser-foot 14 to facilitate the removal of the cylinder 8 or the lifting of the cover 7 when it is desired to replenish the supply of water within the reservoir 6.

It will appear from the foregoing that the article of desk furniture which I have devised comprises a light, subst-antial, and or namental base provided with ink receptacles or wells and having an envelop and stamp moistening device surmounting the base sufficiently to prevent the articles moistened from coming into contact with the ink, and comprehending, further, a pen-rack the intermediate bracket of which is utilized for the support of a spring-urged presser-foot in coperative relation with a wick-carrying roller That I claim isl. An envelop-moisteuer comprising a water-receptacle, a Wick located within the receptacle and extended thereabove, means for supporting said wick, an open-ended socket located above the Wick, and a presser-foot provided with a stai extended into the socket.

2. In a moistener, the combination with a Water-receptacle, wick located therein and extended ihereabove and means for supporting said wick, of a presser-foot provided with a headed staif, a socket receiving the staff, and an adjustable head closing the end of the socket and pierced by the staff of the presserfoot to adjustably limit the movement of the latter in the direction of the Wick.

3. An envelop-moistener comprising a water-receptacle, a wick located within the receptacle and extended thereabove and means for supporting said wick, a spring-socket disposed above the wick, a presser-foot having a headed stai extended into the socket, a spring within the socket and bearing against the head of the sta-if to urge the presser-foot against the wick, and means for regulating the tension of the spring.

4. In a stamp-moistener, the combination with a waterreceptacle, a Wick located therein and extended thereabove and wick-supporting means, of a presser-foot provided with a sta, a spring-socket receiving the stati' and provided with a spring arranged to urge the presser-foot toward the wick, and an adjustable head closing the end of the springsocket and pierced by the staff of the presserfoot to permit the regulation of the tension of the spring and to adjustably limit the movement of the presser-foot.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a water-receptacle, and a pen-rack comprising a series of rack-arms, of a Wick located Within the receptacle and extended thereabove, means for supporting said Wick and a presser-foot suspended from one of the rack-arms of the pen-rack, and located above the wick.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with a Water-receptacle and a pen-rack comprising a series of rack-arms, one of said arms terminating in a depending socket, of a wick located Within the recepta-A cle and extended thereabove and means for supporting said wick, a presser-foot opposed to the Wick and provided With a staif extended into the socket, and adjustable means for limitng the movement of the presser-foot.

7. In a stainp-moistener, the combination with a water-receptacle provided with a movable cover and a yielding presser-foot located above the cover, of a Wick-roller supporting a Wick in effective proximity to the presserfoot, and a retaining device serving to secure the cover upon the receptacle and to retain the wick-roller upon the cover.

S. In an envelop-moistener, the combination with a Water-receptacle having a cover provided with an opening and With inturned IOO IIO

bearing-flanges, and a yielding presser-foot located above the cover, a Wick-roller located between the bearing-Hanges of the cover, and a shaft for the wick-roller, said shaft being extended through a Wall of the receptacle and through the bearing-flanges of the cover to perform the dual function of a cover-retaining means, and means for retaining the Wickroller in the cover.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a base surmounted by a water-receptacle, of a Wick extended above the Water-receptacle means for supporting said Wick, a pen-rack carried by the base, and a presser-foot opposed tothe Wick and yieldingly supported by the pen-rack. 

